Extra electrical work costing R-II $29,000

John Rohlf, Staff Writer
Posted 3/24/23

The Wright City R-II School Board last week approved a $29,000 change order to cover the unexpected cost of electrical conduit installation for the addition under construction at East …

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Extra electrical work costing R-II $29,000

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The Wright City R-II School Board last week approved a $29,000 change order to cover the unexpected cost of electrical conduit installation for the addition under construction at East Elementary.

Erik Wilson of Bond Architects explained that the cost of extra conduits wasn’t originally factored into the project because they were supposed to have been there already as part of the original building. “The original documents from the original construction had conduit going from (the electrical) room out and stubbing out of the building underground. Those conduits are not found anywhere,” Wilson said. 

Board President Austin Jones conceded there is nothing the district can do about the change order and it needs to be done. With another recent change order related to concrete last month, he asked Bond Architects what the firm is doing to make sure the district does not run into a similar issue when construction building additions in the future. Jones stressed that the district’s new high school will include a phase two of construction. 

Wilson said the architecture firm takes pictures and visits the site as much as they can, at least a couple times a month. 

“We do a punch list every time they say something’s substantially complete,” Wilson said. “We make sure with the engineers also that everything that’s on the drawings was built. Especially when it’s stuff like that for the future. We want to see those items before they’re covered up.”

Wilson stressed that Bond Architects will provide the district with an updated drawing once the construction projects are completed. The drawings will include everything Bond Architects was told or saw that was done by the contractor. 

The board approved over $15,000 in change orders last month for the East Elementary addition. The change orders accounted for removal of existing concrete at footings and a change in brick. Overall, the board has approved just short of $45,000 in change orders for the East Elementary addition. The district budgeted $3 million in contingency for the East Elementary addition and high school construction. 

Wright City School District, Construction

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